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REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT FINCA WOMEN'S VILLAGE Jinja, Uganda It is a great honor for me to be here with the President and Mrs.Museveni. My wife and I like these loan programs very much. And Florence,we thank you for the fine job you did being the leader of this programtoday. I want to thank Milli Mukyala and Robinah Balidawa, thank you verymuch for being an example to women, not only throughout Uganda and, indeed,Africa, but throughout the world. That United States is proud to supportFINCA in these efforts. FINCA now has set up 3400 banking groups like thetwo of which you're a part, in Africa, in Latin America, in the formerSoviet Union. The United States, just in the last two years, has increased itssupport for such programs through our AID program; and now we are makingover 2 million loans every year to people just like you -- over 2 million.What that means is that women in villages like this all across the worldare going to be able to meet the needs of their children, as Milli soeloquently describes; are going to be able to build the economies of theirvillages; it will make their nations stronger, and they will make the worlda better place. So the song you sang today is a song for children everywhere.It's a song for women everywhere. It's a song for the future of the worldeverywhere. We will continue to support these programs as long as I amPresident. I want to say a special way of appreciation to my wife, whointroduced me to these programs now over 12 years ago. Twelve years agoshe came to me and told me about what was happening in a far away countryin Asia -- Bangladesh. And she said this could be done everywhere. Andyou have shown through your media and ours -- today you have shown thewhole world -- what can be done in villages everywhere. So you have done agreat service, not only to yourselves and your own children but for womenjust like you all across the globe. And we thank you very, very much.
President and First Lady | Vice President and Mrs. Gore |